Barcelona persuade Alemany to make shock Aston Villa U-turn despite announcing exit

Barca had already announced Alemany's departure but talkSPORT understands president Joan Laporta has persuaded him to reconsider his future.

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Villa wanted to unite Alemany with fellow Spaniard Unai Emery and oversee a summer overhaul of the Villa squad.

But Alemany's change of heart will be warmly received by Barcelona who view him as the brains behind several important player departures and the signing of star striker Robert Lewandowski.

Barcelona sent out an official statement on May 2, confirming Alemany was leaving the club.

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The statement read: "Despite having a contract until 2024, Mateu Alemany has informed the FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, of his intention to begin a new professional project."

Later that week, it became clear that Alemany's Barcelona exit was to pave the way for a switch to Aston Villa.

Despite no contract being officially signed between the two parties, Villa were confident Alemany was ready to commit to the club this summer.

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The news will come as a huge disappointment to Unai Emery who expressed his excitement at the prospect of working with Alemany.

The pair had met during Alemany's recent trip to Villa Park where they discussed the possibility of acquiring a number of La Liga based players this summer.